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Get Children Into Maths

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Video games contain a lot of maths. Children are often working with complex mathematical concepts without realising it. The temptation is to leverage this maths play to make learning games for the classroom. However, as we do that we often unintentionally break what made the experience playful in the first place.

We recently discovered Aha Machine, which takes a different approach. It provides a series of playful spreadsheets that use dinosaurs, video games and football to inspire and motivate learning. They are brilliant, interactive, free and can be downloaded for use in a school in minutes. What's more, they use amazing games as their motivational and reward content in each exercise.

Along with highlighting this brilliant resource, we have worked with creator of Aha Machine, Henry Hartley, to create this list of games that offer experiences that get children doing maths without realising it.

This includes games where maths is front and centre, like Twelve a Dozen or Dicey Dungeons. But it also includes games that develop math-like investigative thinking, such as Pawnbarian or Imbroglio. Then there are strategy games that are all about the numbers, like Football Chairman Pro and Universal Paperclips.

This list includes 37 games from the last 17 years, with 203 likes. They come from a range of different genres and play-styles and are all good games if you want to get inspired for maths.

List Details

PEGI Ratings: PEGI 3 to PEGI 12
ESRB Ratings: ESRB EVERYONE to ESRB TEEN
Australian Ratings: G to M
Genres: Action, Adventure, Battle, Brain Game, Collecting, Creative, Fighting, Narrative, Platform, Point-and-Click, Puzzle, Role-Play, Sequencing, Simulation, Sports, Strategy and Traversal
Total Likes: 203

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Threes

Release Date: 06/02/2014

Out Now: Amazon Fire, Android, Web and iOS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Threes is a puzzle game where you slide numbered tiles on a grid. When they collide they combine their numbers, like Triple Town. You can match 1's and 2's with each other, the white tiles can match cards that are multiples of 3...

Let's Revolution

Release Date: 19/07/2023

Out Now: PC

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Board, Cards, Cartoon and Grid

Let's Revolution is a puzzle adventure where you work to stop a narcissistic King from ruining your world. Play is like Mine Sweeper where you get numerical clues on one tile about what's on its neighbours. Here though, you use this information for...

Dicey Dungeons

Release Date: 13/08/2019, updated in 2020

Out Now: Android, Mac, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X|S and iOS

Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Cards and Dice

Dicey Dungeons is a video game adventure where you build a deck of cards to represent characters, attacks and weapons. Here the novelty is that these cards combine with dice rolls to determine who wins battles.

868-Hack

Release Date: 30/08/2013, updated in 2017

Out Now: Mac, PC and iOS

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Grid and Pixels

868-HACK is a puzzle game where you hack a computer program to collect as much data as you can. It's a unique puzzle as collecting data triggers more enemies to appear so you walk a delicate balance between collecting as much as possible, but not so...

Dragon Box

Release Date: 09/05/2012

Out Now: Android, Mac, PC and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Dragon Box is an educational series of games that teaches young children maths, such as algebra using pattern matching with symbols. Unlike other educational games, the fun is in the doing in DragonBox, rather than incentivising learning with separate...

Lego Duplo World

Lego Duplo World (Series)

Release Date: 01/08/2019

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 2+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Blocks and Cartoon

Lego Duplo World (and Lego Duplo Marvel) are very simple point-and-click puzzle games. Based on the popular children's toy, it's an interactive play experience based on HeadStart’s Early Learning Outcomes Framework that encourages children to develop...

Lost in Random

Release Date: 10/09/2021

Out Now: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Cards, Dice and Hand-Made

Lost in Random is an adventure where you play an anthropomorphic dice and a young girl called Even. In her world, when she turns 12 she must roll a magical die to be assigned a region to live in and a life to live. But seeing her sister go through this...

Marching Order

Release Date: 28/11/2018

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 2+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made

Marching Order puts you in charge of a disorderly animal marching band. Listen to each animal’s requests to get them in the right order in the game about sequence, rules and order.

Twelve a Dozen

Release Date: 05/10/2016

Out Now: Android and iOS

Components: 2D Side-On and Cartoon

Twelve a Dozen (originally called just, Twelve) is a running and jumping game where you solve mathematical based logic problems to help Dot save her family. While many games use learning as a gate to the reward of some fun, Twelve integrates the maths...

Football Chairman Pro

Release Date: 18/06/2015, updated in 2020

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Text

Football Chairman Pro is a simulation strategy game about running a football (soccer) club. The game has over two million downloads for its accurate and complex simulation of running a football club. This combines with a simple and clear interface to...

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain (Series)

Release Date: 05/06/2006, updated in 2021

Out Now: DS, Switch and Wii

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a puzzle game designed to test and improve your mental capacity and well-being. You are presented with an assortment of challenges designed to measure how smart your brain is. The focus is on fun rather than...

Universal Paperclips

Release Date: 09/10/2017

Out Now: Android, Web and iOS

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Text

Universal Paperclips is an adventure game about making paperclips. It sounds simple, but behind the incremental process of clicking a button to create these paperclips is a story about how the desire to make paperclips (or anything) if fully realised...

Hyperbolica

Release Date: 14/03/2022, updated in 2022

Out Now: Mac, Oculus and PC

Skill Rating: 11+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person

Hyperbolica is a traversal game where the whole world bends the laws of physics. As you move around, everything seems to shift and fold in on itself as you discover space doesn't work like it does in the real world. It's a game created in non-Euclidean...

The Last Cube

Release Date: 10/03/2022

Out Now: Mac, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Blocks and Grid

The Last Cube is a puzzle platform game where you guide a cube through a series of 3D mazes to save the world from destruction. Because you have to get the right side of the cube on the right square to trigger abilities and progress, it creates a...

Freshly Frosted

Release Date: 10/06/2022

Out Now: PC

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Grid

Freshly Frosted is a donut topping puzzle. You must place topping machines and conveyor belts in the right order to create the right donuts. It takes the common conveyor puzzle challenge and adds not only a lovely theme but some intricate scenarios for...

Good Soduku

Release Date: 20/07/2020

Out Now: iOS

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Text

Good Soduku is the classic puzzle game but made more accessible by removing the leg work of counting and tracking which numbers have been used where.

Imbroglio

Release Date: 18/05/2016, updated in 2020

Out Now: iOS

Skill Rating: 13+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Grid

Imbroglio is a puzzle game where you take a character into a dungeon and progress by collecting stars. The twist is that combat is focused not only your abilities but the tile you are standing on when you attack. Although each character has different...

Murder by Numbers

Release Date: 05/03/2020

Out Now: PC and Switch

Components: 2D Side-On

Murder by Numbers is a detective game where you find clues by solving math-square nonogram-style logic puzzles. A little like Phoenix Wright games where you have a murder to solve, but here you have to use...

Otteretto

Release Date: 28/01/2022

Out Now: Mac, PC and Web

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Grid

Otteretto is a puzzle game where you match blocks to make palindromes. Rather than the usual match-three format, instead you have to find patterns that mirror in the middle, like a palindrome but with colours/shapes rather than letters.

Thinkrolls: Kings and Queens

Thinkrolls: Kings and Queens (Series)

Release Date: 16/11/2016, updated in 2021

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Grid

Thinkrolls: Kings and Queens is a puzzle game where you roll your character around castles to collect keys, food and gems for the dragon that lives there. Complete a level to be awarded with customising pieces to decorate your ball as a king or queen...

Pawnbarian

Release Date: 24/09/2021

Out Now: Android, PC and iOS

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Board and Grid

Pawnbarian is a puzzle game where you attack enemies in a dungeon based on chess moves. You build a deck of different pieces and use them in battles

Card of Darkness

Release Date: 16/09/2019

Out Now: Apple TV, Mac and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On, Cards and Hand-Made

Card of Darkness is a hand-animated adventure game where you attack enemies represented on cards. This isn't unusual. What is, however, are the small set of intricate rules and charm of each character.

Cinco Paus

Release Date: 25/12/2017, updated in 2021

Out Now: iOS

Components: 2D Overhead and Grid

Cinco Paus is a puzzle game where you try and get through 5 rooms picking up treasure as you go. What makes it unusual are the magic wands that help you do this. What appears to be a maze game turns out to be a challenge to discover the effects of each...

Harmony's Odyssey

Release Date: 19/10/2022, updated in 2022

Out Now: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox X|S

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Blocks and Hand-Made

Harmony's Odyssey is a puzzle game where you solve mixed up mythical dioramas full of riddles, creatures and magic. Play is simply a matter of selecting and moving the sliding pieces, but there are clever clues in the fantasy world to see how they fit...

Seven Scrolls

Release Date: 16/03/2020

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead, Grid and Hand-Made

Seven Scrolls is a puzzle game where you explore a dungeon, kill enemies and get to the exit. What's unusual is that the rules of the game change as you pick up scrolls.

Teach Your Monster: Number Skills

Teach Your Monster: Number Skills (Series)

Release Date: 22/11/2021

Out Now: Android and PC

Skill Rating: 3+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Teach Your Monster: Number Skills is part of the Teach Your monster series, aimed at Pre-school and Reception age children. You play as a customisable monster character in a theme park. Each ride has a numbers game that starts with basic number...

Slice Fractions

Slice Fractions (Series)

Release Date: 05/02/2014, updated in 2018

Out Now: Android, PC and iOS

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Slice Fractions and Slice Fractions 2 are maths-based puzzle games where you slice objects to create specific fractions that clear the path, defeat ghosts and enemies. It's a simple challenge that blends learning about one of the most essential parts of...

Tens!

Release Date: 30/08/2017, updated in 2020

Out Now: PC, Switch and iOS

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Grid

Tens! is a colourful puzzle game where you lay blocks of dice into a square aiming to make a row or column of ten points in total. As you complete a ten, you score points and the tiles used are cleared away. The simplicity and vibrancy of this game...

Twofold Inc

Release Date: 21/01/2016

Out Now: Android and iOS

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Grid

Twofold Inc is a puzzle game where you deliver requests for coloured tiles. You fulfil these orders by connecting the required coloured squares on the small grid. When you don't have the required coloured tiles to match next to each other you can also...

Stitch

Release Date: 28/10/2022

Out Now: Apple TV, Mac and iOS

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made

Stitch is an embroidery puzzle game where you fill in numbered areas of the right size to create pictures. While it sounds simple, the limited ways you can add yarn to the hoop creates a head-scratching challenge. This slow, thoughtful, and relaxing...

Sudocats

Release Date: 14/03/2022

Out Now: PC and Switch

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Grid

Sudocats is a Sudoku-style brain game for people who prefer cats to numbers. It plays the same as the usual Sudoku game and has similar mathematical thinking benefits, but without numbers to get in the way.

The Devil's Calculator

Release Date: 28/01/2019

Out Now: Android, PC and iOS

Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Grid

The Devil's Calculator is a mathematical puzzle full of logic brain teasers. An evil calculator has its normal arithmetic operators replaced with sadistically obscure functions. You must figure out (with logic and a bit of algebra) how to use these...

Trios

Release Date: 30/09/2021

Out Now: PC and Switch

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

Trios is a puzzle game where you select numbers and operators to get the required total. It's unusual because of its relaxed visuals and music. The twist is that you have to use all your numbers to reach the target.

Arm Wrestling Simulator

Arm Wrestling Simulator (Roblox)

Release Date: 14/04/2023, updated in 2023

Out Now: Android, Mac, PC, PS4, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

Arm Wrestling Simulator is a battle clicker game where you incrementally train and then win arm wrestles by clicking. Play involves picking different styles of training to improve your biceps, hands or knuckles then taking on other players and computer...

Bee Swarm Simulator

Bee Swarm Simulator (Roblox)

Release Date: 21/03/2018, updated in 2023

Out Now: Android, Mac, PC, PS4, Xbox One and iOS

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person, Cartoon and Open World

Bee Swarm Simulator is a strategy game about incrementally expanding your hive of bees, to become the biggest honey producer in the world. Play is a combination of collecting pollen for honey and levelling up your swarm by hatching new bees and buying...

Block Buster Billy

Release Date: 28/08/2023

Out Now: PC and Switch

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: Grid and Pixels

Block Buster Billy is a puzzle game about positioning blocks that join together when they make valid maths formulas. Play involves pushing the blocks to not only satisfy the rules of maths but also form shapes that are useful to progress the level's...

Sushi For Robots

Release Date: 03/08/2023

Out Now: PC

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Overhead and Cartoon

Sushi For Robots is a brain game about serving sushi-obsessed robots with the right-shaped food. You place sushi on the conveyor belt so it gets to the right-shaped robots. You can also put down stickers to change the behaviour of your dishes and please...

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Button Combinations:	Holding Down Buttons Optional Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional No Simultaneous Buttons
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Getting Started
Onboarding Before Play:
Assistance Getting Starting:	Tutorials Practice Area View Control Mapping Assistance With Controls Reaction-Time Not Critical Low Pressure Adjust Speed No Jump Scares
Assistance For Progressing:	Guaranteed Progress With God Mode Bank Progress With Frequent Checkpoints Assisted Progress With Boosts Assisted Progress With Hints Assisted Recall for Characters Assisted Recall for Narrative and Dialogue Save Progress Anytime

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Difficulty Options:	Simple and Full Version No Memorisation Advantage No Hidden Information No Deceit Advantage No Colour Advantage No Mathematics Advantage No Weighing Decisions

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Assistance Getting Started:	Clear Manual Electronic Version of Manual Electronic Version of Manual for Screen Readers Getting Started Video Digital Version Reference Aid
Assistance Progressing:	Play Order Tokens (Or play order doesn’t change) Reaction-Time Not Critical Low Pressure Low Impact Catch Up Rule

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Necessary Text Visibility:	Large Clear Text on Board (Or no text required) Large Clear Text on Cards (Or no text required) High Contrast Text (Or no text required) QR Code For Text (Or no text required) Primary and Secondary Text Distinguishable (Or no text required) Information Orientation Clear Icons

Physical
Pieces:	Components are Distinguishable by Touch Components are Replaceable No Non-Standard Dice (Or No Dice) No Tiny Pieces No Paper Money No Sprawl
Cards:	Large Card Size Standard Card Shape Limited Hand Management No Excessive Card Shuffling No Right-Handed Advantage
Placement:	No Unbound Placement Player Components Not Shared No Fiddly Placement Easily Verbalised Actions

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Printed Visibility:	Colour Blind Friendly Design Double-Coding Colour High Contrast Colours
Component Identifiability:	Outline Key Elements No Busy Backgrounds Easily Verbalised Game State No Close Inspection Disadvantage Playable Without Sight

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Communication:	Audio Cues Mirrored Visually (Or no critical audio signals) No Pressured Reveals No Pressured Communication Playable Without Hearing

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Get Children Into Maths

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